The United States, European Union and the U.N. have imposed tough economic sanctions against Iran, blocking access to the international banking system and curbing sales of Iranian crude oil as a way to persuade Tehran to abandon its nuclear program.

As Ali Arouzi, NBC News Tehran Correspondent, reports today, the sanctions have had a real impact on Iranians as the value of their currency, the rial, continues to drop daily – affecting everything from basic food items to manufacturing.